1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates generally to lubrication systems, and more specifically to improvements in automatic lubrication systems for harvesters.
2. Related Art:
Harvesters such as cotton pickers include a large number of lubrication points which must be serviced at regular intervals to prevent premature failure of moving components. U.S. Pat. No. 4,769,978, assigned to Deere & Company, describes a system for distributing lubricant to numerous locations on the row units of a cotton harvester. Such a system is presently on commercially available harvesters such as the John Deere model 9950 Cotton Picker and has significantly reduced the time and effort necessary to lubricate the machine. However, the need to inspect the lubrication areas coupled with the requirement that the row units be driven during the greasing cycle has heretofore required either that a second person be present during lubrication or that the operator leave the harvester cab and shut off drive to the units to climb down to the ground to inspect areas inside the units. Numerous inspection trips may be required during a greasing cycle. Failure to inspect can result in wasteful overgreasing and contamination of harvested cotton, or in undergreasing which decreases the service interval.
Recently, a service bypass circuit which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,759,185 has been made available which permits the operator to selectively bypass the operator presence system on a harvester to slowly drive the row units for inspection under certain restricted conditions. However, the lubricant distribution system has heretofore required the operator to be in the cab at the control panel to activate the lubrication cycle.